County jail inmate found guilty of rioting

Saturday

Aug 16, 2014 at 3:15 AMAug 16, 2014 at 10:50 PM

A Strafford man has been found guilty of rioting inside the county's House of Corrections last fall. Joshua LaPierre, 29, of 56 Garland Road, was one of eight men who refused to return to his cell on the C block Oct. 21.

By Kimberley Haaskhaas@fosters.com

DOVER — A Strafford man has been found guilty of rioting inside the county's House of Corrections last fall.

Joshua LaPierre, 29, of 56 Garland Road, was one of eight men who refused to return to his cell on the C block Oct. 21. Prisoners allegedly soaped the stairs of their second-floor tier, threw a television onto the first floor, armed themselves with the two-by-four board that was supporting the television and broke mop handles to create sharp weapons.

County Attorney Thomas Velardi explained that there were three primary inmates who armed themselves, three inmates who wore masks and two other men who were a part of the larger group. LaPierre was one of the men who was a part of the larger group.

After a bench trial on July 29, Judge Brian Tucker found that the state had proved the elements of riot beyond a reasonable doubt. Although LaPierre did not actively participate in destructive behavior, Tucker said he was acting “in concert” with the other inmates, “which opens him to liability as a principal or as an accomplice.”

“I find from the evidence that by maintaining his association with the group in disregard of orders to disperse, the defendant purposely sought to provide moral support to inmates actively engaged in violent or tumultuous conduct, and that his presence gave the group added strength through the number of inmates involved,” Tucker wrote in his order earlier this month.

State law says a person is guilty of rioting if they simultaneously, with two or more other people, engage in tumultuous or violent conduct and thereby purposely or recklessly creates a substantial risk of public alarm.

Any person who refuses to comply with an order to stop the conduct is also guilty of rioting, according to Tucker's decision.

The staff had to reclaim the area by force. It took 34 minutes to assess and quell the situation.

No injuries were reported as a result of the riot.

Velardi said last month he is prosecuting every man who participated in the riot because they violated state laws and he wants to send a message to incarcerated individuals that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.

One of LaPierre's co-defendants, Robert Provost, 22, a man who Velardi said soaped the stairs and created hurdles to get onto the second tier, has already pleaded guilty to his involvement in the riot. Another co-defendant Christopher Morin, 28, was sentenced to 12 months in the House of Corrections for his participation.